This invention relates to a blind rivet designed specifically to provide improved water tightness and enhanced binding force, which when operated on from only one side, functions as a fastener for tight union of a plurality of plate-shaped parts or for allowing a part to be attached fast to another part to which the blind rivet has already been secured in position.
The common blind rivet is basically composed of a shank and a rivet body which is formed around the shank by a two-stage plastic molding technique. The blind rivet is inserted into the hole bored in a part such as a panel until the flange head portion of the rivet body comes into contact with the frontal surface of the panel and the shank alone is moved upwardly with a specially designed tool. Consequently, the rivet body is bent and folded outwardly to allow the panel to be squeezed.
The inventor has previously proposed improved blind rivets (U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,304 issued Sept. 16, 1980 and U.S. Ser. No. 941,777 filed Sept. 13, 1978), both of which are owned by the common assignee of the present matter. The blind rivet constructed as described above is designed to provide the rivet body with windows opened in the longitudinal direction thereof so as to facilitate the outward bending and folding of the rivet body. This blind rivet is superior to other blind rivets in binding force obtained thereby and a binding operation, but, like the conventional blind rivets, does not enjoy high water tightness.
An object of the present invention is to provide a blind rivet of a plastic material, which shows greater tolerance for variations in the thickness of the panel and the diameter of the hole in the panel with which it is used, enhances the engaging or binding force exerted upon the panel and ensures high water tightness.